


Happy New Year

by FlOrangey



Category: Persona 5
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-24
Updated: 2017-12-24
Packaged: 2019-02-19 20:10:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,776
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13131246
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FlOrangey/pseuds/FlOrangey
Summary: Makoto visits her boyfriend on New Years.





	Happy New Year

**Author's Note:**

> Alternate Summary: Author decides to give new and potentially canon name for P5 protagonist a spin with short fic. I tagged both names so it would show up.
> 
> Also Happy Christmas Eve everyone.

In all her life, as far back as she could remember, Makoto Niijima never imagined she would find herself in a juvenile facility. However, the last year had flipped her whole worldview on its head. Between joining the Phantom Thieves, fighting for justice, and engaging in activities and with people she would never have imagined herself hanging out with before, the thought of visiting a juvenile center should have been something that did not make her uneasy.

However just because she thought it should not make her uneasy did not mean it would make the visit easy. The hallway walls were tall, the rooms were overly bright, there was a blinding feeling as she walked with the officer to one of the visiting rooms. She stepped in and was met with a sight of an empty room with a large row of chairs. The tables were short, split in half by a protective glass pain, and walls on the side with the idea of giving people privacy when their families visited.

She took her seat where directed and was told it would be another few minutes until he was ready. Makoto nodded and held onto the small package. She was told that normally inmates were not allowed gifts, but with the holiday and the strings her sister pulled she was allowed to bring him a small package. It was unwrapped, security had inspected it so thoroughly that her original arrangement of the present had been ruined and there was no time for her to fix it. She opened the box and smiled.

The picture they took together in Hawaii was front and center in the box. She picked it up and turned it over.

_Makoto Niijima_  
_X_  
_Ren Amamiya_  
_Hawaii Student Trip, 2016_

That had been a good day. He looked so happy in the photo, his eyes were clear, his smile wide. It had been one of the few they had taken where he was not wearing his glasses and they had managed to push his bangs out of his face. His dark eyes stood out, instead of blending in with his hair and glasses. His arms were on her shoulders. They were both smiling.

She looked up when she heard a door open and closed the box. She stood up, taking a deep breath and letting it out as she saw him. His head was down, he was trying to hide his face, but she could see from his paler complexion he did not look like he was well.

“Ren.” She said. He looked up, and those eyes widened.

“Makoto?”

“You two have one hour.” The officer said. “That’s about as much as you can get before the others get suspicious.”

“Of course,” Makoto said, giving the man a nod. “Thank you again for doing this sir.”

“Thank your sister.” He said, curtly and left the room. The two watched him leave, and the look on Ren’s face made it obvious he had no idea what was going on. Makoto took her seat.

“Ren.” She repeated his name. It took him a second to react, then he sat down. He looked like he wanted to say something. “I’m sorry, I know you’re confused, but let me explain.”

“Yes. Please.” He said. “I didn't think I’d be getting visitors for...a very long time.”

Makoto nodded. Normally only family could visit minors in Juvenile Hall, but Ren’s family was a long way away and not keen on visiting him. “My sister pulled some strings. Since she’s in charge of your case and I’m dating you, she managed to get me a visitation. But only one.” Makoto explained, “How are you feeling?”

The simple question hung in the air. She saw Ren’s fingers twitch like he was trying to find something to play with and looked down to see there was a small opening between them. She reached through and with little hesitation he took hold of her hands, clasping them tightly. She winced a little but kept her face straight.

“I...could be better.” He said looking up at her. He chuckled, “It’s funny. We spend a year going after terrible people in the metaverse, changing hearts, and even kill a shadow that thinks it’s god by the end of it, and the thing that feels like it’s gonna break me is this.”

“Well, the supernatural is easier to cope with than reality, I guess,” Makoto said. He nodded.

“Soon as I got here, they threw me into solitary confinement.”

“What?” The question hung in the air. Ren looked away from her, “Are you still in there?”

He nodded. Makoto frowned, feeling her anger rise up for a bit. “That’s a violation of your human rights. Does my sister know about this?”

“She said she would try and get them to move me to a regular room. But I guess with all the stuff with Shido it’s taking awhile.” A smirk formed on his face, “I mean I can’t blame them, as the leader of the Phantom Thieves, I’m a dangerous criminal.”

Makoto sighed. She was not sure if she should take Ren trying to find humor in his situation as a good thing or not. He was trying at least, but she could feel his hands shaking in hers. “I have some news for you. Do you know what day it is?”

Ren frowned and shook his head. “Sometime after Christmas.” He said.

“It’s New Years,” Makoto said. She saw his mouth hang open a little. “And the rest of us, our friends, we’re all trying to hatch a plan together. Sis told me she had no idea how long you would be stuck here in juvie. We want to make sure your stay is as short as possible.”

“Please tell me you aren’t planning a jailbreak.”

Makoto laughed a little, “Sis said the same thing.” She said, then looked him right in the eye. “We’re going to operate within the law, but we’re gonna make sure everyone out there knows you were wrongfully arrested. Not just for this, but the assault you got pinned with. Mishima is already trying to petition people, we found Hifumi and asked her if she can help. Kawakami is doing what she can at the school. And we’re going to spread this all around so much they have to let you out on demand.”

“You guys are…” Ren trailed off. There were so many words he wanted to say. Ridiculous was one. Crazy was another. He settled on the one he knew was true though. “...Amazing.”

“We’re only amazing because you gave us a chance to be,” Makoto said. Ren smiled at her.

“I know a few other people that might be able to help.”

“Really?”

Makoto listened as Ren told her about the other people he had met in his year in Tokyo. She put every name he mentioned in her phone’s notes, as well as the few phone numbers they had he could remember. “You actually met Yoshida Toranosuke?”

“Met him? I’m the only reason he got a seat in office.” Ren said, a smirk on his face. Makoto shook her head.

“Right. That’s the only reason. It totally has nothing to do with his message.”

“Well, I helped make it readable.”

Makoto rolled her eye. “I miss you.”

“I miss you too.”

“I love you.”

“I...love you too,” Ren said. Makoto felt him squeeze her hands tighter. “I hope you guys can get me out of here. I don’t want to get my hopes up but...it’d be nice to spend Valentine’s Day with you.”

“I… I want that.” Makoto said, “I want to be with you so much. I promise, no matter how long it takes, you’ll be back with us. With me.”

She blinked when she felt her eyes beginning to water. She had promised herself she would not let Ren see her cry. Not until she could actually hug and kiss him. She looked at the time. “Times almost up.”

“It is?” He said looking up at the clock on the wall. It was a traditional analog clock, not a digital one, “I can’t tell.”

“It is.” She said. Ren looked back at her. He then looked down at her hands. He bent down and placed his lips against her fingers. Makoto blinked harder, and the tears slid down her face. He looked up at her.

“Don’t cry.”

“I can’t help it,” Makoto said. She pulled her hands away and wiped the tears from her face. “There’s one more thing. I double checked first to make sure this was okay and security ruined it a little, but this is for you.”

She pulled the small box off her lap and pushed it toward him. He opened it and now it was his turn to cry a little. He picked up the photo of them in Hawaii, then saw another photo which was when he and Ryuji took a selfie near the beginning of summer. There was another of him and Yusuke engaged in art-related shenanigans. Him and Haru on the roof gardening. Ann helping him pick out summer clothes. Futaba and him playing video games. A group photo Sojiro insisted they take before he started going back to school.

And then one he had not recognized at all. It was of Makoto, but she was dressed in a black shirt and wearing sneakers and a skirt. He smirked, “Didn’t think you were into the goth thing.”

“A-Ann helped me pick that out.” She said, “My first semester at university isn’t until the fall so I have a lot of free time, even with the cram courses I'm taking. I thought maybe...I should take a dance class.”

“A dance class,” Ren repeated. “That’s something I’d like to see.”

“When you get out I can show you what I’ve learned.” She suggested. Ren looked at the picture again and then up at Makoto.

“I look forward to it.” Ren said, “But right now, can I just keep holding your hands?”

Makoto reached back under the glass and Ren took her hands. He held them tight, almost like he was scared to let them go. They stayed that way with each other in silence until time ran out and a guard came to escort Makoto out. “I have to go.”

Ren let go of her hands and placed his on the box, holding it close to him. “Makoto, I love you. Happy New Year.”

She nodded, “It will be. I promise.”

Ren kept his head down, unable to watch her leave, eyes staying on the photo of the two of them in Hawaii.


End file.
